Self-driving vehicles still a work in progress for NY

Self-driving vehicles still a work in progress for NY

1of3Theresa L. Egan, Commissioner of the NYS DMV, left speaks with an Audi of American engineer before getting a ride in an Audi A-1 with the new driverless technology on board at the State Capitol Tuesday June 13, 2017 on the in Albany, N.Y. (Skip Dickstein/Times Union)

2of3An Audi A-1 was on display and driven to demonstrate the new driverless technology at the State Capitol Tuesday June 13, 2017 at the State Capitol in Albany, N.Y. (Skip Dickstein/Times Union)

3of3Audi engineer Kaushik Raghu sits inside an Audi A7 piloted driving prototype vehicle as he talks about the technology used in the car on Monday, May 23, 2016, in Albany, N.Y. Employees of the auto maker were outside the Capitol to talk with legislators about the driverless car. The State Senate is scheduled to vote on a bill that would advance self-driving technologies in New York State. (Paul Buckowski / Times Union)

A report from the state indicates at least two companies tested autonomous vehicles in New York since June of 2017, but the state Assembly has been reluctant to adopt measures that would fully embrace the emerging technology.

During the recent legislative session, the state Senate passed a bill that would allow drivers to take their hands off the steering wheel when engaging the self-parking feature available on some newer, high-end passenger vehicles. The parallel parking feature is designed to do its job without interference from a driver, but New York's vehicle and traffic law requires at least one hand on the wheel at all times.

The bill was also updated from earlier legislative attempts with language indicating that the exception would only apply in cases where a vehicle's automated system was engaged in steering functions.

It didn't receive a committee vote in the state Assembly this year.

The initial budget from Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo called for ending the requirement in 2020, but the measure didn't make it into the Assembly's budget and died during the final negotiations in March.

Despite the failure to update state law, vehicles with this parking capability are sold and driven in New York, according to Joe Robach, the Senate Transportation Committee chair and sponsor of the legislation. He wasn't aware of police officers writing tickets to drivers utilizing the parking feature without a hand on the wheel.

Beyond the practical implications of drivers interfering with self-parking features, Robach, a Rochester area Republican, said the law should be updated to indicate to the industry that New York is welcoming of this new technology.

That's why he was supportive of the language in the adopted state budget this year that extended the state's pilot program for testing of autonomous vehicles for another year.

The first test was in June 2017 when an Audi AI drove about 170 miles in the Albany area during a seven-hour period, according to a report compiled by the state Department of Motor Vehicles. The company indicated no safety issues and reported the technology performed as expected.

A second test was completed in September, when Cadillac launched a hands-free drive from its global headquarters in New York City into New Jersey, with an ultimate destination of California. Nine vehicles were part of the test, which covered the FDR Parkway and George Washington Bridge, and the company reported "no safety issues relating to the system," according to the state DMV report.

Robach said the tests helped garner public support for autonomous vehicles and provided meaningful information for the car companies. ""You want to get people familiar with it," he said.

A Gallup poll indicated that 59 percent of Americans are uncomfortable with self-driving cars, and Americans without college degrees are even less welcoming.

Robach said that most people like the autonomous features that are already available in some cars, like self-parking, lane identification and emergency braking. "We know that it makes people safer," he said, noting a study that found 94 percent of car crashes or collisions are the result of human error.

Sen. Liz Krueger, a Manhattan Democrat, voted against Robach's steering wheel bill. She said on the floor of the chamber during a debate that she wasn't opposed to the development of autonomous vehicles, but believed that the piecemeal approach to addressing the issue isn't appropriate.

She said they are creating unanswered liability questions and that it would be safer if drivers had at least one hand on the wheel at all times.

Sen. Jim Seward, a central New York Republican and chair of the Senate Insurance Committee, said one of their next steps will be updating the state's insurance laws to reflect the new technologies. He anticipated insurance companies would craft rates based on vehicle tests and then work with the state's Department of Financial Services to offer new insurance products to consumers.

David began reporting in the summer of 2009 as an intern with the Legislative Gazette.

He then worked for the Daily Gazette, covering state government, gambling issues, and Saratoga County. His political blog won first prize for blogging in 2013 from the New York State Associated Press Association.

David most recently worked as capitol reporter and development strategist for New York StateWatch, an online non-partisan reporting service.